Sunday, 28 March 2010

He, she and the money - stereotypes about meanness and extravagance

Spending money is something natural. Everybody knows, that if we want to eat, wear something, live somewhere or go for one place to another, someone have to pay for it. But some people have quite specific attitude to the money. They are mean or - on the contrary - extravagant. There are many stereotypes about these people. Some of them are connected with gender - but are they really only stereotypes?

MEN ARE PENNY-PINCHERS

The stereotypical stingy man is someone, who's the only bread-winner in the household, so he's deciding of his family budget. He wants to save as much money as possible, so he precisely evaluate amount of money, which he can give to his wife and children - of course for things, which are absolutely necessary or even less.

This description, although exaggerated, isn't false at all. According to the results of Karen Redwine's and Paul Zak's researches, the fact, how mean someone is depends on level of testosteron - masculine hormon. Researchers carried on the experiment on a group of 25 students. Then all of them were playing simple economical game - one of students have decided, how to share 10 dollars between him and another one, another one could accept or refuse his or her offer. They were playing both roles, once under the influence of a gel, which contained testosteron, another time without it. Results have shown, that under the influence of testosteron people were less willing to share money with others, even if they can obtain more, than they've given.

But the meanness can also beacme a pathological situation. In the discussion about it at one of internet forums we can read about such causes. One of users writes about a man, who almost didn't use a central heating, although it was winter, bought the cheapest products, and controlled his wife, when she was washing dishes (maybe she's using too much water, who knows it?), although his salary was really good.

WOMEN ARE SPENDTHRIFT

It's another side of the previous situation. A woman doesn't work and spend her husband's money on stupid things. She's so irresponsible!

This statement is also over the top. But it isn't unjustified at all. Researchers say, that money are important for women - they want to live with someone well off. The results of studies, carried on by University of Michigan assert, that women prefers extravagant partners, because they give women a signal of the fact, tat they'll be able to provide for their would-be family. The spendthrift men are also more experienced in living with women - they used to have more partners than more economical ones. They were also hoping to have many sexual partners in the future. According to the researchers, it's very old way of thinking - earlier women found attractive men, who were e. g. good hunters (so they could achieve the food).

Women as a shopaholics

Shopaholism(onomania) is the term, which means "the compulsive desire to shop. The addicted person gets into a vicious circle that consists of negative emotions like anger and stress, which lead to purchasing something. After the buying is over, the person is either regretful or depressed. In order to cope with the feelings, the addicted person resorts to another purchase.What differentiates oniomania from healthy shopping is this compulsive, destructive and chronic nature of the buying." (www.wikipedia.org)

It is thought, that women like shopping very much, while men usually can't stand it. Becky, the main character of a popular comedy "Confessions of a shopaholic" seemed to love it really... until the time, when she realized, how big debts she had ;-)

Confessions of a shopaholic - trailer: (I don't know, what language these subtitles are ;-))

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...

Of course, we should take all of these statements with a pinch of salt - true or false, everything here is a big generalization. I hope that I didn't offend to anyone ;-)

This man, as we can see, doesn't worry about his money... and about stereotypes!

What's your attitude to spending money? Are you stingy or - by contrast - rather extravagant person? Do you accept it?

24 comments:

In my opinion all people was difrent anyone like spend a lot of money in shoping because they wont show your friends what they have expensive car, clothes and exclusive live. But a lot of people was a humble person they didn't need show what they have. Luckily we have a chose.

In my opinion it's not true, that women are prodigal and men are misers. It depends from specific persons. I think that it is inversely. Women are more thrifty because it is they more often administer household funds. However men is able to spend much money for nice but unusable things.

I think that it depends on personality, who is mean and who is extravagant. I was extravagant before I went to Uniwersity. On studies I learn myself how to save money, how earn money is difficult and how fast money disappears from your wallet. Of course I like the most spending money for shopping ( like every woman ). I know two men, who are very extravagant so not only women are lavish :)

Personally I'm rather stingy, but I don't think every men is like me and every woman is extravagant. People differ much more. Some of them are misers but they would lose all their money on some paricular things, whilst other are extravagant but for some useful things they wouldn't give even a penny. The stereotype which is more probable is that about shopaholics. I really, really hate shopping and I don't know many men who like that. It is terrible for me. I had bad mood for the whole day when I spend more than hour in shop.

I suppose that these stereotypes come from the past when only men was working and earning money. They were responsible for the maintenace of household and they were having money on their command. And women's expenditures were often seen as unnecessary or extravagant.

I agree that all these things depends on personality ;) I used to be a penny-pincher but lately I become rather a spendthrift, especially when it's about my passions - theatre and music... I don't spend money on clothes, gadgets or shoes, I prefer to buy CDs or tickets :) I have watched 'Confessions of a shopaholic' and it was really strange movie ;) I can't imagine how anyone can have such a problems, it's like a typical dependency! And these subtitles from the trailer look like in Swedish or Norwegian but I'm not sure ;) And they speak Finnish there, yaaaay, that's why I liked this movie ;)

I share the point with Monik. I also used to be a penny-pincher and I'm still like that but when it comes to my hobbys I very often loose my mind and very often only one thing comes to my mind: "Somebody stop me" :)

Money in my life are important but not the most important. I set store by money, but only when absence of them distrubs ion my daily activity; eating, wearing for example. I like spend money for beautiful things, but only sometimes. I hate shopping, so probably I never become shopaholic ;)

By nature I'm a penny-pincher. I don't like doing shopping and spending money at all. However, this attitude annoys me. From time to time I buy something completely unnecessary just to prove myself that I'm capable of being extravagant. Till now it works fine for me.

I don't think that we can't say that men are penny-pinchers and women are extravagant. Like you all say before it depends on personality and how we were grown up. But I think the truth is that women spend more for clothes and cosmetics and men are not intrested in that(mostly). I quite sure that men can spend much more money than women on cars, gadgets and some unussual things.

Diamonds are the girl's best friends, for sure:) For me shopping is enjoyable but it is even more fun when I can spend less or put a little by. I believe that women can be very economical, nowadays they often make balances of household budget and generally take care of money. Men on the other hand are getting more and more extravagant buying all this electronic gadgets. That's a revolution!

Well, we are living in a material world and maybe some of us girls are material ones but also I think that we are as good in saving money as men (and maybe even better) of course we like spending money on bags and shoes but we are reasonable in it not like men where it's all about their cars and they're ready to spend every money on it, I think that men are more extravagant when it comes about money.

Well, we are living in a material world and maybe some of us girls are material ones but also I think that we are as good in saving money as men (and maybe even better) of course we like spending money on bags and shoes but we are reasonable in it not like men where it's all about their cars and they're ready to spend every money on it, I think that men are more extravagant when it comes about money.

Well..spending money in shops are not my favourite spend of free time. But i know that in our world are many girls who thinks that this is the sense of their life...it's boring. The only thing you can talk about with taht girl is the new collection of some brand..and that's it.

I can't agree with opinion that all womens are spendthrift or shopaholics and all mens are penny pinchers. I know some mens who love do a shoping and they can't imagine their live without it and I alson know women who hate do it. It is depend only on our character. I must to say that I'm not a shopping slave, on the contrary I know a lot better things to do in my free thime. Of course I also do shopping and sometimes it make me happy but I'm not spendthrift.

Stereotyps are stereotyps, but they aren't only fiction. I know some very penny-pincher people and they are a men!

I like shopping and spending money, but when I want somethink else - for example go on holiday I can save money. I think that I am extravagant person. If I had a lot of money I would want to spend it. Yes, I accept it because I hate penny-pincher people.

We are consumer society and it should be natural that we go shopping and spend earned money. But there is a group of people (we could called them shop maniacs) who derive pleasure from purchase. They find some things very necessary at the moment but some time after buy they feel anxiety and start looking for other things to spend money on. It is an addiction!

In my opinion everybody like to spent his money if he have it. Not only women can be a shopaholic sometimes the man can be worst. It is only stereotype and stereotypes rarely are true. I have huge respect for people who are rich and like to share with others, give her money for institutions which need it, not always wealthy person is penny pincher! And we should remember about it all the time and never judge by appearance.

Few days ago i heared quote of some businessman - ''spend eggs not chickens''. I tottaly agree with that sentence, we should spen our money very carfully, but saving it only for saving is misunderstanding. People should invest their money every day and consider every step, because only this could make us millionare. And of course i don't belive that women are more extravagant than man, it depends on person. Probably woman could spend more money at once like fancy bag, but mans waste a lot of money every day buying sth which they could do on their own like sandwiches. When we sum it up it will be the same.

I don't agree with all this money stereotypes. Among my friends there are some really penny-pincher women and spendthrift men (who by the way call themselves generous) .What really surprise me is that there are people who are thrifty most of the time, but for some things they could pay a fortune just to show up. But maybe at some point we all have our weirdness, also when talking about money.

In general, I hate shopping like Asia too ;) So maybe I'm not very womanly ;D Even my friends know that I can't suffer more than a half an hour at shopping... It isn't that I'm penny-pincher or that I don't like to buy beautiful things. Simply, it's very tiring for me to walk around the grand shopping centers and very often frustrating (when I can't find the clothes that I like). But for example my older brother can spend a lot of time on shopping ;) So these personal examples show that the stereotypes about money are only stereotypes ;P

In my opinion, most of your posts are hypocritical points of view. I agree with thesis in blog that most of men are PENNY-PINCHERS and most of women are SPENDTHRIFT. On the other hand I have to admit that I like to spend money a lot, I love shopping and buying useless things, oh, am I a real man??? ;)

The crazy model of shopping is due to the deep crisis of civilization in Northern (or Western) hemisphere. The relation between an individual and a good has changed. Nowadays commodities rule a human-being. A decline of quality of goods, rubbish and dowdy can be seen around. The halls became temples overcrouded with people racing aimlessly